Oleaceae FAMILY

Osmanthus fragrans

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing around 3 - 5 metres tall, occasionally reaching up to 10 metres[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for use as a food, medicine and source of essential oil. It is also often cultivated, mainly as an ornamental, but also for its several uses. The fragrant flowers are sometimes available in Oriental stores, preserved in sweetened brine or as a sugary paste called 'cassia blossom jam'[ 183 Title Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Publication Author Facciola. S. Publisher Kampong Publications Year 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 Description Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world. ]. The plant is commonly grown for these flowers in gardens in India, southeast and eastern Asia[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeE. Asia - China, Japan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand.

HabitatMountains of S. Japan[ 58 Title Flora of Japan. (English translation) Publication Author Ohwi. G. Publisher Smithsonian Institution Year 1965 ISBN - Description The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader. ]. 1200 - 2100 metres in the Himalayas[ 146 Title A Manual of Indian Timbers. Publication Author Gamble. J. S. Publisher Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Year 1972 ISBN - Description First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader. ]. Forests, in association with Ilex dipyrena and Castanopsis spp, at elevations of 1300 - 3000 metres in Nepal[ 272 Title Plants and People of Nepal Publication Author Manandhar. N. P. Publisher Timber Press. Oregon. Year 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6 Description Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses. ].